title: Computational assessment of the fractional flow reserve from intravascular ultrasound and coronary angiography data: a pilot study.
abstract: Cardiovascular disease is one of the primary causes of morbidity and mortality around the globe. Thus, the diagnosis of critical lesions in coronary arteries is of utmost importance in clinical practice. One useful and efficient method to assess the functional severity of one or multiple lesions in a coronary artery is the calculation of the fractional flow reserve (FFR). In the current work, we present a method which allows the calculation of the FFR value computationally, without the use of a pressure wire and the induction of hyperemia, using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and biplane angiography images for three-dimensional (3D) coronary artery reconstruction and measurements of the volumetric flow rate derived from angiographic sequences. The simulated FFR values were compared to the invasively measured FFR values in 7 cases, presenting high correlation (r=0.85) and good agreement (mean difference=0.002). FFR assessment without employing a pressure wire and the induction of hyperemia is feasible using 3D reconstructed coronary artery models from angiographic and IVUS data coupled with computational fluid dynamics.
authors.forename: Panagiotis K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Siogkas
authors.forename: Michail I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Papafaklis
authors.forename: Antonis I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Sakellarios
authors.forename: Kostas A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Stefanou
authors.forename: Christos V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Bourantas
authors.forename: Lambros M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Athanasiou
authors.forename: Christos V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Bellos
authors.forename: Themis P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Exarchos
authors.forename: Katerina K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Naka
authors.forename: Lampros K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Michalis
authors.forename: Oberdan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Parodi
authors.forename: Dimitrios I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Fotiadis
mesh_terms: D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D003198:Computer Simulation; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000503:physiopathology*; D053805:Fractional Flow Reserve, Myocardial; D006801:Humans; D006940:Hyperemia / Q000503:physiopathology; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional